German minister decries Gaza ‘famine,’ urges Israel to shift course

Palestinians in the Gaza Strip are suffering through “famine,” German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said in an interview with national public broadcaster Deutschlandfunk.

“We have been observing for some time that the blockade that Israeli has in practice imposed on the Gaza Strip has led to famine, has led to people dying, suffering and going thirsty,” Wadephul said in an interview conducted on Friday during his return flight to Germany from a visit to Israel and the Palestinian territories.

Wadephul called for the UN’s aid organizations and the Red Cross, along with religious and charitable organizations to be given full access to the war-ravaged region. “This could start tomorrow,” he said, calling for a “fundamental change” in Israeli policy.

He acknowledged that more truckloads of aid were entering Gaza, but added: “It’s still insufficient, and has to become better by the day. We will continue to stress this,” he said.

According to German security sources over the weekend, between 50% and 100% of the aid entering the region is being diverted by Hamas or by criminal organizations.

Germany has since Friday joined the initiative to drop aid by parachute, but Wadephul said this provided only slight alleviation. “It must be done overland, and Israel has to facilitate this. And this is comprehended there,” he told Deutschlandfunk.

Germany, traditionally a staunch ally of Israel, has been cautious in its criticism of Israeli government and military policy, but there has been a change of tone recently.

Bavarian Premier Markus Söder on Sunday stressed Germany’s continuing support for Israel in an interview with national television broadcaster ZDF.

“First of all, I believe that we must stick to our line, to our principles. That means that we are the closest of partners with Israel,” said Söder, whose Christian Social Union (CSU) is part of Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s coalition.

Söder described Israel as “the democracy” in the Middle East.

“Israel has also been attacked, and Hamas continues to hold hostages up to today,” Söder said. He accused the Islamist organization of blocking aid going into the Gaza Strip.

While Germany stood by Israel, more had to be done for the humanitarian situation, he said. Söder expressed support for German federal government policy in being engaged and highlighting the situation in the region.

“The situation has improved to some extent, but it’s not enough,” the Bavarian premier said.

According to the acknowledged international classification on food security, the IPC, the criteria for famine in Gaza are as yet not fulfilled. Under the IPC criteria, famine is declared when all three criteria of extreme food shortage, acute malnutrition and hunger-related deaths are met.

IPC experts have said the most recent data show the first two conditions fulfilled, with widespread extreme food insecurity across most of Gaza and acute malnutrition reported in Gaza City.

Israeli military action and the blockade of Gaza followed the October 7, 2023 attack launched by Hamas on Israel in which people were massacred and hostages taken.

Source: dpa

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